Device for filling cushion-pipings and method of using the same



. E. c. FARR. DEVICE FOR FILLING CUSHION PIPINGS AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3], i918- INVENTOR. Ely/m1 Farr BY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nnwm c. rum, or rtm'r, MICHIGAN.

DEVICE FOR FIIiLIlN'G CUSHION-PIPINGS AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME.

Specification of Letters latent. Patented Mar. 23, 1920- Applicstion filed May 31, 1918. Serial No. 237,417.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. FARR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Flint, Genesee county, State of Michigan,

have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Devices for Filling Cushionip-mgs and Methods of Using the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tov the formation of cushion pipings or the like as described in my application for U. S. Letters Patent S. N. 221,658, filed March 11, 1918, and the present application is concerned with the several operations, that is, the manipulative method involved in filling the pipings, as well as with a preferred form of tool whereby the cushion strips may be inserted into the pipings.

The invention consists in a method or process wherein the filling material is made up in the form Oratensile hat of the proper length and width; thereafter seized at one end and gripped tightly throughout its length b a protecting cover whereby it is prevente from gathering in wads, then inserted into the corresponding piping, and finally released from its cover by anaction which does not disturb the proper mutual relation of the elements of the bat and pip- The invention also consists in a sectional sheath adapted to hold the bat properly in inserting it into the piping and to be removed therefrom one section at a time without disturbing the material. It also consists in means adapted to grip or hold a leading tab end of a bat reinforce and also adapted to embrace and squeeze the rest of the bat while inserting it into a piping. The in vention further consists in certain details of construction and certain steps of manipulative process hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sheet of the filling material and,

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a narrow stri or bat of said materialadapted to fil an individual piping of the cushion. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the bat positioned on the lower halfof the sheath, and Fig. 1 is a similar view, the upper half of the sheath being positioned and the whole" being ready for insertion into the piping.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, parts being broken away, showing several filled pipings and also showing the sheath and inclosed bat fully inserted into another, and Fig. 6 shows the same thing, except that the upper section of the sheath is withdrawn. Fig. 7 1s a similar view, parts being broken away,

the lower section of the sheath also being withdrawn.

Asv indicated in Fig. 1 the filling material 1s made up --in large sheets, preferably formed of a curled hair body 1 and a reinforcing fabric sheet 2 which, in the embodiment shown, constitutes a backing. The hair is secured to the sheet in any suitable manner such as by croche-ting or tufting and y I may project therefrom on either one or both sides, but it is preferred to extend the sheet somewhat beyond the bed along one edge as indicated at 3. When t e sheet is cut up into bats (Fig. 2) of length and width corresponding to individual pipings of the proposed upholstery, the edge projects in the form of a tab 4. l

The sheath which it is preferred to use in inserting the bats into the pipings includes a lower section or half 5 which has a handle 6 and gradually tapers toward the end far- 'ing' applied, as will be better understood later. Associated with this lower sheath section is an upper section 10, also tapering, having a handle 11 and terminating in an outer end or tongue 12 adapted to enter the slot 8. It is evident that the construction 'of the sheath is subject to wide variation, but

. the parts shown are preferred because they may be readily stamped from sheet metal and because they lend themselves readily to the several steps involved in the new method of manufacture.

The sheet of material having been formed and a bat cut therefrom, the next step is to lay the bat longitudinally in the trough of the lower sheath section (Fig. l) with the tab 4 overlying the slot 8; the upper section 10 is then laid over the upper surface of the bat with the tongue 12 projecting into the slot 8 to lock or grip the tab 4, after whichthe workman springs the handles 611 together to tightly grip the filling material throughout its length. Thereafter, the sheath may be inserted into the leather or fabric piping 13 of the up-:'

- in quickly and properly filling strip of fabric to ing which consists in known construction and need not herebe described) carrying the filling materialor bat along evenly therewith .and avoiding anything in the nature of wadding locally: this uniform and even distribution of the filling material is in no way disturbed by the subsequent withdrawal of the sheath which preferabl namely, the wit tion' (whereupon the upper part of the filling expands into close friction contact with the piping) and the subsequent Withdrawal of the trough-like lower section. The gripping of'the'tab 4 is of material value in preventing gathering or wadding since the bat reinforcing is thus maintained taut; at the same time, the section 6 may be readily Withdrawn thus either freeing the tab from the slot' or allowing such action as'the lower section is withdrawn.

It will be understood from the above that the invention is of application generally the pipings of cushions or other upholstering with material ,of comparatively short texture, or with any form' of special bat, for example, one built up of a central core of exceptionally springy material such as curled hair surrounded with a cheaper outside filling,

material such as cotton. The invention. permits the practical method of making up the upholstery casings with the pipings already fixed therein as opposed to the often used method of first filling the casing and afterward fixing the sides together to give the piped or quilted efi'ect.

he several features of the invention are subject to considerable modification without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited except as indicated by the subjoined claims. a

I claim:

1. The method of filling upholstery piping which consists in forming the filling material into a tensile bat reinforced by a strip of fabric to which said material is socured and which bat is of a length, width and thickness corresponding to the piping, compressing the bat throughout its length and firmly holding one end thereof, and inserting the bat into the piping while so compressed and with said end ahead.

2. The method of filling upholstery pipv.ing which consists in forming the filling materlal'into a tensile bat reinforced by a which said material is secured and having a tab at the end thereof, gripping the-tab and compressing the remamder of the bat, and inserting the bat so held and compressed into the piping with the tab edge ahead.

3'. The method of filling upholstery pip- "material into a bat reinforced by astrip of takes place in two steps, 'drawal of the upper secforming the filling fabric to which said material is secured and which bat is of a length, width and thickness suitable for filllng a single iping, and simultaneousl compressing the bat throughout its entire length and inserting it into the piping while so compressed b force communicated thereto in part through said strip of fabric material.

4. A two-part sectional sheath for insertin filling material such as curled hair into up olsterlng piping, said sheath comprismg means for holding the leading end of a strip of fabric to which the filling material is secured and for firmly gripping the material throughout its length, one of 'the sections of the sheath being withdrawable from the piping independently of the other.

5, A sectional tool of the class described comprising in combination a trough sha ed vtapering section, and a second thin flexible ta ering section adapted to fit over the open sidie of the trough, said sections being pivotally joined to each other through and by means of a single pair of centrally located securing elements at their forward ends, and said thin flexible motion being freely removable from the trough-shaped section by longitudinal movement of said flexible section. 4

6. Means for inserting bats into upholstery pipings, said means comprising a tapering section having upturned sides formmg a trough, said section terminating at one end in a handle and having a slot at its other end, a second thin, flexible, tapering section adapted to cobperate with the first mentioned section to grip a bat substantially throughout its length, and the free end of which is adapted to extend into the slot aforesaid to thereby permit the sections to be disengaged from each other upon relative longitudinal movement in one direction of said second flexible section.

7. A sheath-like device for filling upholstery pipings, said device including means for temporarily compressing a bat of u holstery material throughout the length thereof, and for positively grasping the strip of fabric to which said material is secured at the forward end of the bat, said sheath like device including a section which may be moved longitudinally of the bat to release said section from the rest of the sheath like device.

8. In a device of the character described, a narrow flexible sheath section having a tapering end, a second narrow sheath section also having a tapering end, one of said ends being slotted and the other of said ends being adapted to be inserted into said slot to form therewith a freely detachable pivotal' EDWARD G. FARR. 

